Утечка WebRTC

Why WebRTC Leaks Happen

WebRTC is a browser API that enables real-time audio, video, and data communication directly between browsers without a server intermediary. To establish peer connections, WebRTC uses a protocol called ICE (Interactive Connectivity Establishment) that probes for the best network path — including your Public IP AddressA globally unique IP address assigned by an ISP that is routable on the public internet. Every device directly accessible from the internet must have a public IP address. address and any local network IPs. This probing happens at the browser level, bypassing your VPN TunnelAn encrypted, encapsulated connection between two endpoints through which all tunneled data passes securely across an untrusted network like the public internet. entirely, which means your real IP can be exposed to any website that runs WebRTC code in the background.

Who Is at Risk

Anyone using a VPNVirtual Private Network. A technology that creates an encrypted tunnel between a device and a remote server, protecting data in transit and masking the user's real IP address. Used for privacy, security, and accessing restricted networks. in a browser that supports WebRTC — which includes Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Opera — may be vulnerable. The leak can expose your actual Public IP AddressA globally unique IP address assigned by an ISP that is routable on the public internet. Every device directly accessible from the internet must have a public IP address. even when your visible IP (as seen by HTTP requests) is correctly masked. Unlike a DNS LeakA privacy flaw where DNS queries bypass the VPN tunnel and are sent to the ISP's default DNS resolver, revealing the websites a user visits despite using a VPN. DNS leak tests help detect this issue., a WebRTC leak cannot always be prevented by configuring the VPN client alone; it requires browser-level mitigation.

Detection and Mitigation

Use WebRTC Leak Test to check whether your browser is exposing your real IP through WebRTC. Mitigation options include disabling WebRTC entirely in browser settings (Firefox supports this natively via media.peerconnection.enabled), installing a browser extension that blocks WebRTC, or using a browser that does not implement WebRTC. Some VPNVirtual Private Network. A technology that creates an encrypted tunnel between a device and a remote server, protecting data in transit and masking the user's real IP address. Used for privacy, security, and accessing restricted networks. clients include a WebRTC leak prevention feature that intercepts these requests at the network driver level.